Inestors for business

i want to start up pharmaceutical business but i need investors for finance upto 1.5 million, where can i find one? any website or any group? how can i stay as majority of share holder as owner or main owner since i will be opearting these business? i only have best plan but not money.
thank you for advise.

Based on your investment amount, you're looking at equity investors that may take some form of equitable security in your business. If you have no business track record, it's possible that you won't have any commercial lenders available to you as this would not meet their risk profile. This is probably true for those willing to provide you any form of promissory note (money in exchange for the promise to repay), unless you're willing to allow the lender to securitize its loan with your personal assets as collateral.

For U.S.-based equity investors, you have to be careful with the selection of investors. Using this form of fundraising (securities offering) requires compliance with state and federal securities laws whereby you'll have limitations as to the total number of investors you can have, the wealth and affluency of the investors, and their experience and awareness of these types of securities purchases. These offerings will also require documentation to clearly define the type of security you're offering, and the terms upon which the offering must be purchased, and even re-sold by the investor; it is a very restrictive process which must be fully disclosed by you and understood by the purchaser. You can avoid some of the individual wealth requirements of your investors if you provide the specified disclosures statements that describe your business and your proposed use for the funds, and these can add an additional layer of complexity. This is the traditional and most common way businesses in your situation raise money in the U.S., but it requires you to find sizable investors of sophistication (the average investment would be approx. $45,000 per investor to satisfy your raise requirement within the limited number of investors you can have).

Finding investors for this traditional fundraising is done through networking your professional contacts, personal friends, family members, and with professional investors such as private equity and venture capital firms. You can also hire a promoter for purposes of connecting you with wealthy individuals and these professional investors, but promoters generally come at significant cost and expense, taking a percentage of your total fundraising. They also require additional documentation and reporting, but this additional burden can be worth it.

Another option that was recently established is the use of crowdfunding websites for fundraises up to $1,000,000. Crowdfunding is a process that allows the wide-spread dissemination of shares/equity in your company to a greater number of people with no maximum number of investors, but a maximum investment of $2,000 per investor. The same restrictions for the resale of these securities are imposed upon securities sold by the crowdfunding method, and I usually do not recommend this method absent a special purpose as this can cause problems later given the lower threshold requirements for the class of investor that is entitled to invest pursuant to this style of investment.

This is a complex question that requires detailed planning and knowledge of the securities offering process. You’ll be able to navigate these issues with the assistance if your securities attorney, and tailor a plan that meets your business requirements.

Best of luck.

For legal advice and representation, consult an attorney. This response was provided for informational and marketing purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal advice. No communication with the author of this comment through this website can establish an attorney-client relationship, as the attorney-client relationship can only be established by the mutual understanding of its creation by both the client and the attorney, each party intending to create such a relationship.

You should check out venture capital firms, but make sure you have an attorney reviewing documents for YOU, before signing anything. However, it may be too soon in the development process to raise VC money. Friends and family are a common source, because you can't solicit the general public without jumping through a lot of legal hoops and incurring a lot of attorney fees. You need to develop a business plan. Study how to write that correctly on the internet, or better yet, find an MBA that has experience in drafting them. Then a lawyer can help you draft a Private Placement Memorandum PPM to give to investors with the business plan. Build up the development and legal paperwork so you look professional and comply with the law. Good luck! Starting a new business venture is exciting. www.chakmakislaw.com has more info on this subject.